The American Sports Car

by Tony Rickard on September 4th, 2010

Throughout my life, American cars have been pretty much regarded by Europeans as rubbish. Compared with European sports cars, the supposed American sports cars even more so.

Of course they have had their moments in movies. The ’68 Mustang GT 390 was iconised by Steve McQueen in the film “Bullitt” for instance and even the modern day Shelby Mustang GT500 in “I am Legend” looked and sounded the business for sure.

The fact is, see a Ford Mustang in the UK and it will turn heads. As rubbish as guys in pubs will refer to them compared to Ferraris, Porsches, BMW M3s or Audi RS4s these cars are cool to be seen in!

The term “American Sports Car” maybe an oxymoron compared with pretty much anything the Europeans produce in the sports car category. In fact most shopping cars with a GT badge would probably be quicker on an English “B” road. So we take the moral high ground as our tiny little cars can cover the ground faster than a gas guzzler.

Back in the 60s, 1300cc Alfas and Minis would battle with Ford Falcons and Mustangs given a twisty enough circuit and I doubt our views have changed much since.

Yet European cars have changed dramatically and perhaps the Americans have actually had the recipe right for the enthusiast driver on public roads all along.

In the quest for being the fastest, the European manufacturers have been squeezing in engines of ever growing proportions which are now not that dissimilar to our American cousins. A small “compact executive” car like a BMW 3 series or Audi A4  now have V8s powering their sports variants. The larger family sized A6 shares the Lamborghini V10 in its RS badged version.

That is just the sporting versions of normal saloons. The Ferraris, Porsches and Astons have got ever quicker and offer insane amounts of grip that can get around the Top Gear test track in times that allow their owners to scoff at anything produced across the pond. Yet most owners of these cars will never get the chance to explore these limits and those that do (aka highly paid soccer players) will crash them at high speed trying.

Even now, the American Sports Car is still much better at straights bits than windy ones, allowing the driver to act heroically when faced with a deviation in the road more than a few degrees, all at a rather safe speed of next to nothing before powering off to the next bend with verve and determination and above all a rather nice sound.

Not only that but with all the technology packed into a modern European sporting cars extracting zillions of bhp per litre and computer controlled suspension, the only people who really understand how to make them go fast are confined to darkened rooms staring at monitors somewhere in Bavaria. So some back street mechanic armed with a laptop and a large dose of optimism is only going to make it go slower, or not go at all.

So tuning in Europe tends to be restricted to guys wearing their caps the wrong way round driving Saxos with engines that would fit in a Mustang’s glove box. Whereas in the US, tuning sports cars from the factory still positively thrives and it all adds to the enthusiast’s pleasure.

So maybe after 40 odd years of disdain I finally “get” the American Sports Car – simple but effective fun.

Which (eventually) leads me on to the iRacing Mustang. You can lap Summit Point a whisker quicker than a Spec Racer Ford – a car with the word “Rookie” in its series title and is powered by an engine and gearbox from a basic Ford Escort your Grandad used to drive to the shops to get his pipe tobacco.

Yet not only will you feel quite cool given its aggressive looking styling and Bullitt heritage but you will be less likely to embarrass yourself going off backwards into T3. It is relatively easy to drive and not that quick but makes you feel like Steve McQueen, every time you exit pit lane. Not only that but as everyone else isn’t falling off at T3 every other lap the racing is great too.

If you are not sure about American Sports Cars, get the iRacing Mustang, you won’t regret it.